


the lost memory

by tinypi



Series: allegiances have formed your destiny [5]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Gen, destiny au, just pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-28 12:13:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5090273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinypi/pseuds/tinypi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Nice to meet you, Gavin,” Ryan answered and carefully shook the tiny hand that was thrust in his direction. “Are you here all alone?”</p>
<p>Gavin shook his head once more. “I lost my mum and dad,” he pouted and Ryan could see tears welling up again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the lost memory

**Author's Note:**

> This one has been sitting finished and beta'd in our drive folder forever and I think we might have sort of forgotten about it? Oops...
> 
> So to keep track of the time frame, I'd say this fits in somewhere between Geoff becoming a guardian and Ryan becoming a guardian.
> 
> Anyway OF COURSE there is super amazing art from Beren to go along with it and it's actually an entire comic?? And it's adorable???! So here [(1)](http://foxesonstilts.tumblr.com/post/132025423502) [(2)](http://foxesonstilts.tumblr.com/post/132025523582/) [(3)](http://foxesonstilts.tumblr.com/post/132025675362/) [(4)](http://foxesonstilts.tumblr.com/post/132025753367/) [(5)](http://foxesonstilts.tumblr.com/post/132025838207/) you go!

The market was nearly overflowing with people. They were laughing and talking to each other, vendors shouting out offers over the crowd and the one or other odd kid was running laps around the adults. A teenager had built a small drumset out of buckets near the fountain and was enthusiastically providing the small group of people that had gathered in front of him with a fast rhythm. Ryan thought it fit the bustling activity of the whole space rather well.

He effortlessly moved through the crowd, aided both by the fact that he towered over most people by at least a few inches and by his heightened senses. He had already picked up most of the things on his list, groceries he would need to prepare a dinner for his neighbours. They often complained that he was spoiling them, but Ryan rather liked the simple act of preparing food though had no need to do it for himself. The only item left to shop for was a milk bowl for the small cat that had recently moved into the alley next to his place and would spend its nights mewling and driving Ryan half mad.

He had just spotted the market stall he was looking for when something ran into his leg with a dull _clunk_.

Looking down, he found a very small boy sitting on the ground, legs stretched out spread-eagled in front of him and arms holding onto his forehead as he sniffled.

“Oh, sorry!” Ryan apologized hastily and the child moved his arms to look up at the exo towering above him, his hood slipping back slightly to reveal tufts of messy sand brown hair. The look of distress on the boy’s face was quickly replaced by one of awe, but Ryan could still see the tear tracks on the young awoken’s face. He got down on one knee to even out their height difference as best as he could.

“Hello there,” he said, trying to keep his voice light and friendly in an effort to counter his intimidating appearance.

“Hello.” A soft voice answered him, quivering lips stretching out into a thin smile.

“Are you okay?” Ryan asked, eyes taking in the glistening tear tracks on the light blue skin.

The boy shook his head from side to side, but gave no further information, choosing to rake his eyes all over Ryan instead and stopping on his head. “You’re all glowy,” he pointed out, eyes wide as he whispered conspiratorially, “like an angel.”

Ryan laid his head askew, the warm glow of amusement spreading through his chest. Looking at his own arm he realized that the sun was reflecting off his metal frame, an effect that seemed to fascinate the young child.

“Well, you can just call me Ryan,” he replied and the child grinned up at him.

“I’m Gavin!”

“Nice to meet you, Gavin,” Ryan answered and carefully shook the tiny hand that was thrust in his direction. “Are you here all alone?”

Gavin shook his head once more. “I lost my mum and dad,” he pouted and Ryan could see tears welling up again. “I can’t find them, Ry.”

Ryan didn’t bother to correct him on his name, hastily trying to reassure the small boy before he could start to actually cry. It not being something he himself could do, he wasn’t very good with crying. “Hey, hey, how about I’ll help you look? Good idea?”

Gavin rubbed the tears of out his eyes with a small fist, nodding enthusiastically.

“Alright, then.” He was about to straighten up when an idea occurred to him. “Would you like to sit up on the high seat?” Ryan asked and patted his own shoulder.

Gavin’s eyebrows furrowed in an adorably confused way for a moment until a look of understanding flashed over his face.

“Yes!” The boy shrieked before a thought seemed to stop him and he quickly corrected himself. “I mean, yes please!”

Gavin lifted his arms for Ryan to grab under, a giddy grin now spreading across his face and Ryan couldn’t help but boop the small boy’s nose, his own eyes glowing brightly with amusement at the young awoken’s exuberant manners.

He easily lifted Gavin, who gave a happy yelp while in the air, up and onto his left shoulder, instructing him to hold on to his head with one hand and to the spike protruding from his pauldron with the other. Ryan straightened up, standing at his full height, and held on to the tiny boots dangling from his shoulder to make sure Gavin wouldn’t fall down. 

“What do your parents look like, Gavin?” He looked at the boy from the corner of his eye.

“My mum’s like me, but bigger,” he helpfully informed Ryan as his eyes scanned the crowd. Luckily, there weren’t many awoken among the humans.

“And your dad?”

“He’s darker here,” Gavin pointed at his own cheek, “and here.” He pulled on the strands of hair on his forehead, frowning and trying to blow them away when they fell into his eyes. “We were gonna buy pomatoes and totatoes.”

“Tomatoes and potatoes?”

"Yes, what I said,” Gavin nodded and Ryan hummed, carefully moving towards the area that housed market stalls selling vegetables and fruits.

They moved through the crowd for several minutes until Gavin excitedly pointed at a bright green stall promising to sell the best apples in the city. “There, Ry, there! I see them! Muuuum!”

Ryan moved towards the stall, only now noticing the young couple standing next to it. The woman did indeed look a lot like Gavin, while his father’s skin tone was of a darker blue and his hair was so dark as to be nearly black. The man was talking to another couple who were regretfully shaking their heads as Gavin’s mother was frantically scanning the area for a sign of her son.

Suddenly she heard Gavin’s yelling, a look of immense relief crossing her face as she pulled on her husband’s sleeve and pointed towards their son, who was now waving excitedly as Ryan approached the couple. The parents quickly moved through the crowd and towards them as well, relieved smiles on their faces as they saw their son unharmed and happy.

“Mum!” Gavin cried happily as Ryan lifted him from his shoulder and into the waiting arms of his mother.

“Gavin, we were so worried! Please don’t just run off like that, baby,” she said, pressing kisses to his nose as his father smiled happily and pushed the hood off of Gavin’s head to ruffle his hair and press a kiss to a light blue temple.

“I’m sorry. Ryan saved me though!” He pointed at the exo, who was patiently waiting while the parents reunited with their son. The couple turned towards him, twin smiles of thankfulness stretching their lips.

“Thank you so much,” Gavin’s father intoned, shaking Ryan’s hand with a strong grip. “We really were starting to get worried. Keeping track of someone this small and fast with so many people around is almost impossible,” he laughed and Ryan nodded as he shook Gavin’s mother’s hand as well.

“Fortunately he bumped right into me. No harm done,” he informed the couple and Gavin giggled in agreement.

“Well Gav, what do we say now?” His father looked at him with an expectant smile.

“Oh! Thank you, Ry!” He pushed up from his mother’s arms with lightning speed to press a small kiss to Ryan’s cheek.

“Oh, dear,” his mother said, very unsuccessfully fighting a laugh. “I’m sorry.” She looked to her husband for support, but the man had turned away to try and hide his wide grin.

Ryan quickly waved her off. “It’s fine, don’t worry.”

Gavin’s mother pulled her son back towards her chest, pressing his head against her neck. “I’m afraid this one’s a bit of a menace.” She flicked Gavin’s little nose affectionately. “Always running off and getting into trouble.”   
  
“Really, it’s no trouble.” Ryan pointed to the various bags at her feet and hanging from her husband’s shoulders. They were bulging with a variety of festive foods and brightly-coloured decorations. Ryan didn’t have to wonder as to the occasion. Birthday supplies. “Looks like you’re having a party soon.”  
  
“Oh, yes, Gavin’s turning four on Friday,” Gavin’s mother said, rocking Gavin gently. “Can’t have a birthday without a party, now can we?”  
  
“Four!” Gavin squealed excitedly in his mother’s arms and held up three small fingers to Ryan, before squinting suspiciously at his own hand. Ryan wrestled down the urge to ruffle his hair.

“I’ll let you get back to your shopping then,” Ryan said amicably. “The stalls will be closing soon.”  
  
“Oh yes, thank you. Well, it was very nice meeting you.” Gavin’s mother nodded at him again, her husband hefting their shopping bag further up his shoulder as he smiled at Ryan.

“Ah yes, me too. Bye, Gavin.” Ryan looked at the small boy, who grinned up at him adoringly.

“Bye, Ry.”

The family turned around, Gavin’s parents now happily chatting with each other as they moved away from Ryan. Gavin himself, however, turned around in his mother’s arms to look over her shoulder and wave at Ryan.

A warm feeling of content spread through his chest and Ryan raised his own hand to wiggle his fingers in a small wave, Gavin’s lips parting into a last grin before the family was swallowed by the crowd. Ryan turned around to continue on his own way, back to his errands. There was a stall selling cheap pottery in the north corner of the market, if he remembered correctly.

It would be twelve long years before Gavin and Ryan would meet each other again on that exact marketplace, but by then the memory of this first time would be lost forever.

 


End file.
